Foreign Minister Lavrov argued that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan never said the Turkish forces were to stay in Afrin.

Lavrov stated that Turkey should surrender control of Afrin to the Syrian government after the invasion he called an “operation” ends.

Lavrov held a press conference in Moscow and upon receiving a question, said: “Erdoğan never said Turkey wished to invade Afrin. As such, we believe that the easiest way to normalize the situation in Afrin would be for Turkey to give back control of this region to the Syrian government when the Turks say they have achieved their goals there.”

Lavrov argued that they haven’t had any other position for Afrin other than this.

THE INVASION HAD STARTED WITH THE GREENLIGHT FROM MOSCOW

The Turkish invasion had started on January 20 when Russia opened the airfield. On March 18, when civilians under threat of massacres left the city, Turkish invasion forces had entered the city center together with their gangs. Since the beginning of the invasion attacks, the invaders have systemmically targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure. Hundreds of civilians lost their lives, over a thousand were wounded, and hundreds of thousands of people have had to leave their homes. Civilian infrastructure like hospitals, schools and the power network have been bombed, historic and religious spaces have been damaged and homes and shops of residents in the city center were looted. Inhumane crimes like torture, executions, abductions and trafficking are also reported most frequently.

WHAT HAPPENED IN THE TRIPLE SUMMIT

Despite all these crimes, Russia didn’t react at all, and on the contrary, issued statements legitimizing the invasion. The latest statement by the Russian government pointedly came after the triple summit with Iran and Turkey last week in Ankara.

On April 6, Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations Bashar Jaafari said they are hoping the triple mechanism comprised of Russia, Iran and Turkey to pressure the Turkish government to withdraw their troops. In an interview with news agency Sputnik, Jaafari asked th Turkish government to withdraw their soldiers from Afrin and said, “Turkey should withdraw their troops from Afrin. I am hoping the Turkish government will be put under pressure on this matter. Ankara’s actions in Afrin are in violation of UN Security Council resolutions and the Non-Aligned Movement’s principles.”